Naming the Potter Children
by Eets
Summary: We've all made fun of Harry and Ginny's silly baby names, but why did she ever agree to them in the first place? One shot!
1. James & Albus

Ginny was sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast and skimming through this morning's _Prophet_, one hand idly stroking her swollen stomach when the front door finally creaked open.

"Gin, I'm home!" Harry called out to his wife from the hallway, shucking off his coat and dropping his damp umbrella. Ginny waddled out to join him, marmalade and toast still in hand.

Harry felt a stupid grin spread across his face at the sight of her, read hair tied back sloppily and her pyjama top stretched across her stomach. His hands reached out involuntarily to feel his son shifting under Ginny's skin.

She kissed his cheek softly, the crumbs from her toast tickling him slightly. "Catch many bad guys?"

Harry nodded as he led her back to the kitchen, nicking her other triangle of toast. "We finally got Avery. Ow, Gin, don't _hit_ me – I'm starving!"

The pregnant woman pursed her lips as she busied herself making more toast. Harry began to flick through the paper Ginny had abandoned, picking up where she had stopped reading.

"How are you? Manage to sleep alright despite the fact that our son never seems to need _any_ rest whatsoever?" Harry laughed as Ginny scowled; their unborn child was almost constantly wriggling around, a source of great amusement to Harry and annoyance to Ginny.

"Actually," she said, dumping the stack of toast on the kitchen table. "He wasn't too bad last night. Don't forget, last check-up at St. Mungo's on Saturday. You _will_ be there." She pointed her marmalade covered knife at Harry, who had been forced to miss the last appointment due to work.

Harry grinned shiftily under his wife's stern gaze; you did not disobey Ginevra Potter when she looked at you like that. "I'll be there!" He protested and she nodded at him, satisfied.

"Anyway, I was thinking about names." she said, as she lowered herself heavily into a chair. "I quite like Sam."

Harry squinted at her. Well, Sam is an alright name, he thought, but a little… common.

"Maybe with James or Sirius or Remus as a middle name?" Ginny suggested reasonably, knowing it would mean a lot for Harry to honour those brave men. She'd like that too.

Harry shifted again, remaining silent. He liked the idea of naming his children after the many brave people who had sacrificed their lives for him.

"James Sirius Potter." He announced grandly. Yes, perfect, he thought happily.

Ginny winced slightly. However, she wouldn't deny him this; it made sense really, James was his dad and she'd loved Sirius too.

"Yeah, that sounds great, Harry."

* * *

><p>Harry wandered down the stairs, pulling his glasses off tiredly. He'd finally managed to get James to sleep after reading the <em>Tale of Two Brothers<em> five times. He fell onto the sofa next to Ginny, leaning his head wearily on her shoulder.

"Like I say, I _would_ have put James to bed but son number two is just kicking away like a trooper right now…" Ginny grinned wickedly at her husband, both of them knowing perfectly well that, unlike their first child, their next son was a lot less energetic.

"Hey, Gin," Harry sat up again suddenly, ruffling his hair with a huge grin on his face. "I was thinking about names again!"

Ginny smiled tightly. Please let him suggest William, she prayed silently.

"I had a _great_ idea, I've already spoken to Ron about it and he said he thought you'd _love_ the name," Harry babbled on and Ginny's heart began to sink; if her older brother had said she'd love it, she was guaranteed to hate it. She could almost picture Ron's smug smirk.

"They were the best men I've ever known, what would I be without them? So, I think we should call our next son: Albus Severus Potter."

"NO!"

"You don't like it? I can think of nothing better than naming our child after two of the greatest Headmaster's Hogwarts has ever seen. You can't still hate Snape after everything he did for me!"

"I don't hate Snape, it's just a fucking awful name!" Ginny's voice was full of exasperation. Really, for someone who had escaped death multiple times and defeated the most powerful Dark wizard on Earth, sometimes Harry could be pretty dense.

"Our son will _go_ to Hogwarts. They were to most famous Headmasters to have taught there. He will be bullied mercilessly."

"Don't you understand how much this means to me? Those men are the only reason I'm alive today!" Harry's tone of voice made him sound remarkably like his sixteen year-old self again.

"I wouldn't wish that name on Draco Malfoy's baby, let alone our son!" Ginny shrieked.

The couple glowered at each other from opposite ends of the sofa.

"I refuse to discuss it," Ginny leant back into her seat and cross her arms. "He will not be called Albus Severus."

Harry said nothing.

And Harry proceeded to say nothing for the next two weeks. Ginny could not help but to admire his resolve (while simultaneously wishing she could throttle him), he did not utter a single word to her.

Years ago, Harry would have sulked and shouted until he got his way but in Ginny he had found his match because she could sulk and shout even better. She was the only girl in the Weasley clan – she knew how to get her way.

However, Harry had sussed her weakness over their years together. The Silent Treatment drove her _crazy_.

It was her waters breaking that broke the frosty silence that existed between them; both were too frantic to try and push their side of the argument.

Ginny finally broke the morning after their son's delivery when she woke to see her child in its father's arms. Harry, absorbed by the child with his tiny, perfect limbs and his downy hair, did not notice that his wife was awake. Ginny observed her family quietly. The look on Harry's face as he stared at his son made Ginny's throat feel constricted with the rush of love it inspired in her. She could deny him nothing, she knew.

She had to speak first or else he'd give up the fight before she could.

"So, how's little Al doing?" She whispered softly. Harry looked up, surprised to see Ginny awake.

"He's great, he's perfect." He replied, not even registering what Ginny had called him.

"He's got good genes," Ginny joked. "And, after all, he is named after two of the bravest, greatest Headmasters Hogwarts has ever known."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **"Harry and Ginny are real soul mates. They're both very strong and passionate. That's their connection and they're remarkable together." - J.K. Rowling. I never really shipped them that much until I read that quote (and saw Burdge's art!).

Anyway, here's my version of events. Poor, poor Albus Severus.

Review are the best thing on the planet, they make me very happy indeed! Just so you know...

Elle xx

**EDIT 26.08.11: **I have added in a break when we move on to child no. 2 and changed the name from 'Thomas' to 'William' - thanks to my reviewers who suggested this. Lily Luna chapter will be arriving soon...

**EDIT 17.09.11:** As someone just pointed out "William" is the name of Ginny's LIVING brother - Bill. It's now 'Sam'. If something's wrong with that...


	2. Lily Luna

James and Al (as Ginny forever referred to him as) had been packed off to their grandmother's for the day, leaving Ginny with some free time for herself. These days didn't come round very often and Ginny had constructed a perfect plan for the day which consisted mainly of a pile of witch-lit, a large slab of Honeydukes' finest and cat-napping throughout the day.

Understandably, she was rather upset when her relaxing day was ruined unfortunately early on. As Ginny heaved over the toilet bowl, she wondered miserably what she'd done in her past life to deserve this. She was constantly rushed off her feet looking after her two mischievous sons and their even more mischievous father. It was typical that on her one boy-free day, she would be struck by chronic illness.

Eventually the sickness eased and Ginny felt suitably recovered enough to return to the sofa and pick up her romance novel again. She passed a pleasurable hour absorbed in a tale about pure-blood boy who had fallen for a Muggle girl; rather cliché, she thought, but the sex scenes were bloody brilliant.

Gin was dragged out of the latest sexual escapade of the two protagonists by an owl at the window. She flicked the latch open and smiled as she recognised Hermione's handwriting on the note the bird had dropped on her lap.

_Ginny,_

_I know you have a day-off today (Lucky thing! Rose's driving me insane at the moment; I think it's colic) so I hope I haven't interrupted your relaxation too much. I was just wondering if perhaps la famille Potter would like to join us for lunch one weekend soon. We haven't seen each other for so long! Maybe we can even shove the children in the den and actually have a proper conversation? Let me know which dates suit you best!_

_Hermione_

The idea of seeing her brother and best-friend sounded great to Ginny - who greatly missed her big brother although she would never admit it. Ron's schedule was just as hectic as Harry's which made it hard for them to meet up as often as they'd like.

However, Harry said it looked like things were finally beginning to ease off. Most former and suspected Death-Eaters were safely behind the bars of Azkaban. These days the Auror Department was mostly tackling ex-Voldemort sympathisers and anyone who tried to reignite his ideas.

Ginny rolled off the sofa and padded into the kitchen, chucking Hermione's note on to the dining table as she walked to where her bag sat. She carefully considered her diary for a moment and grabbed a quill from the pot on the sideboard. Mrs Potter was about to turn back to the table and compose a reply when a small red cross on the calendar caught her eye.

Her period was supposed to start in a week's time. That was odd because… Ginny realised with a jolt that she'd completely missed a whole month. She was late by almost four weeks. That hadn't happened to her since she was about fifteen.

Her mind flicked back to the random vomiting that morning. Suddenly, she felt rather nauseous again – although Ginny was pretty sure that this time the cause was fear and shock.

Mechanically and unthinkingly, Ginny began to move towards the stairs and up towards the bathroom. She knew the Checking Charm although she'd performed it only twice before. Gin hoped silently that it was a false alarm this time.

When she reached the family bathroom, bath toys and toothpaste everywhere, she did what she had to do before casting the charm silently. A pale yellow mist hung over the toilet where only a few hours before Ginny had been heaving her guts up and wondering if she'd eaten some bad seafood.

As she waited for the mist to change colour Ginny wondered what she would do if the mist turned pink and not blue, indicating that she was pregnant again. The thought made her stomach knot slightly; of course, if she _was_ with child she wouldn't even contemplate changing that. She would love it _just_ as much as she loved James and Al. Perhaps it might even be a girl? Ginny wanted a daughter so badly even if she'd never confided that to Harry.

The thing was it was just so exhausting. She'd never really considered or appreciated how hard her parents must have worked with seven children – six of them being boys as well! Ginny found two hard enough. They just seemed to be constantly full of energy and claiming their mother's attention – fighting over it half the time. She loved them, but sometimes Ginny really needed some time to herself.

She turned back to the toilet, registering that the mist had finally changed colour. Ginny reached for the flush and the mist disappeared; Checking Charms were one hundred per cent correct, she reminded herself.

There was no sense of disappointment, she was pleased to notice. In fact, Ginny couldn't help a small smile spread across her lips. She _was_ pregnant.

* * *

><p>Harry wasn't sure how to broach the subject, exactly. He really didn't want to fight again; they'd had something of a spat when Gin had first told him about their new arrival. It had just been a small tiff over Harry's working hours; Ginny was insistent that when their third child arrived, Harry was going to <em>have<em> to be around more.

Although he had postured and pouted somewhat, Harry _had_ seen the sense in Ginny's demand and did want to spend time with his young family. He just really loved his job.

So after this minor disagreement, the Head Auror was really quite keen to avoid having to mention-

"Names."

Ginny looked up at Harry's abrupt statement. He had not meant for the word to slip out so bluntly but the topic had been playing on his mind all day.

His wife put down her book slowly, taking a deep breath.

She spoke in a rather forced neutral tone, avoiding Harry's eye. "I was thinking maybe Rachel, seeing as we know it's a girl? I think it goes quite well."

Harry felt a deep weight in the pit of his stomach. He loved Ginny despite and because of her flaws, as she did him – but she really did have the most _boring_ taste in names.

"Look, Gin," Harry leant forward, outlining his ideas. "I was thinking of these two names, right? They're nice, pretty, ordinary girls' names…"

Ginny huffed impatiently. "Are they the names of dead people though, Harry?"

"Well," Harry shifted uncomfortably under his wife's stern gaze. "One of them isn't."

The increasingly angry redhead began to prepare her arguments and objections.

"Lily Luna Potter!"

She stared at him for a moment trying to comprehend why on Earth he would ever want to name his daughter that.

"Harry, that is so creepy."

"Huh?"

"Creepy, as in, weird and wrong," Ginny was still staring at Harry as if he was insane. "Naming two of your children after your dead parents is so, so strange."

Now it was Mr Potter's turn to look shocked.

"I think it's a lovely gesture, a nice way to remember the woman who saved my life with her love on _countless_ occasions."

Ginny stood up, one hand on her stomach. Things were getting serious.

"Our other son is named after the man who was psychotically obsessed with Lily." Ginny's voice was scarily quiet. "It is so weird. We cannot name our children: James, Severus and Lily."

Harry matched the pose of his wife, pushing his chair back and standing with arms folded.

"Well, I say we can. They are my parents and if it wasn't for them – I'd be dead. Is it so wrong for me to want to honour them in this way?"

"Why Luna?" Ginny lost her cool façade somewhat in her complete incomprehension of Harry's choice.

Harry smiled to himself.

"I just thought it… flowed nicely." He sort of waved his hands in a 'flowing' motion. Ginny just shook her head.

"Harry, do you not understand even a little bit why I think this is an odd thing to do?"

Her husband opened his mouth, ready to bite out an angry retort but he stopped himself. Harry really didn't want to fight with Gin again; the last tiff had been bad enough.

A wave of guilt crashed over Harry as he realised that, even if she might be wrong this time, Ginny had every right to be mad at him. He _had_ been working ridiculously long hours for a man who had two young sons.

Of course Harry adored his kids and loved spending his weekends trying to teach them to use their mini training-brooms. Yet he'd just left all the important stuff down to Ginny. She was the one who had given up her Quidditch career to be with the children every waking hour of the day. She rarely managed to see her friends because Harry wasn't available to look after the boys in the evening. Ginny was there for her children night and day, Harry was there when he could fit the children around his work. That wasn't how it should be.

He heaved a sigh and looked at Ginny again.

She was still standing with her arms crossed above her bump. Harry noticed for the first time how absolutely exhausted she looked – as beautiful to him as ever, but so world-weary and shattered.

"Rachel what," Harry asked. "What would her middle name be?"

Ginny frowned slightly, her brown eyes thick with suspicion. "Rachel Katharine Potter."

"It's a lovely name, Gin," Harry half-smiled. "Let's go for it."

Ginny pursed her lips, still wary, but accepted her husband's sudden change of heart with no further comment.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Harry volunteered to put the kids to bed. Perhaps it was the unfamiliarity of their father asking them to go to sleep that did it but for some reason, the boys went to sleep in an unusually unresisting fashion. Harry, however, didn't return downstairs to his wife immediately.<p>

Instead, he went into their bedroom and began to sort through some of the boxes of miscellaneous junk that resided under their bed. Eventually, after much searching, he found what he was looking for.

Perched on the bed Harry opened the leather bound book carefully, smoothing down the pages delicately. A sad smile flitted across his face as his parents, the original James and Lily Potter, waved at him happily from the photograph.

He trailed his fingers across their carefree faces. The picture of James holding his new born son made Harry's eyes start to fill up with tears, much to his embarrassment. The proud grin on James' face was too much for him to bear. He resolved to talk to Kingsley about reducing his hours the next day. He was sure it wouldn't be a problem – even if it was that wasn't going to stop Harry.

Ginny leant against the doorframe quietly – she was sure her husband was not aware of her presence. She watched as his hands caressed the images in the album; she felt her heart break a little as she saw his tears splashing on to the pages.

In that moment it truly hit Ginny for the first time, the loneliness of Harry's early life. She had been fortunate to grow up in a house full of family who loved her unconditionally and showed that affection without restraint. Sometimes it had felt like a curse but Ginny had always known in her heart how much her family meant to her.

Harry had grown up in a place where he knew he was despised. He was shown no love or affection; an eternal reminder to Mrs Dursley of the sister she lost to the Wizarding world, a freak in the eyes of narrow-minded Vernon and a stranger, so completely foreign to his cousin.

He'd been deprived of Lily and James and all the incredible love they had to offer him. Harry had been cheated of his chance to see his parents' pride for him – he'd had all the hugs and the kisses stolen from him before he could even register his loss. He had _never_ known what it was truly like to possess the unconditional love of a parent.

Ginny suddenly realised why Harry had wanted so badly to name his daughter Lily. It wasn't just a "gesture" – it meant so much to him to do this.

Ginny knew she couldn't deny him this as well, Harry had had too much taken from him already.

* * *

><p><strong><span>AN:** Well, who have though I'd actually ever manage it? The Lily Luna chapter is here! I hope I did it justice :)

Please do let me know what you thought of it - reviews are the best thing in the world! They only take two seconds and brighten up my day so it's a win-win situation, right?

Elle xoxoxoxox

**EDIT 17.09.11: **Changed 'Lucy' to 'Rachel' as Percy's daughter was named Lucy! So sorry for all my shoddy work regarding names :( Usually I'm much sharper than this, I think! Thanks so much to MaryPotter3 for your help - I really should just make you beta all my stories or something!


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